Monday, November 22, 2010

Minnesota Valley NWR Long Meadow Lake Unit


Last week I stopped in at a fund raising auction for the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the Audubon Society. Even though I am not a member of this chapter, I am a member of the St Paul Chapter, I wanted to help them raise money for the education programs which they sponsor at the Minnesota Valley Refuge. This refuge is the closest NWR to my home and I spend a lot of time photographing there so I wanted to give something back. I did not buy anything at the auction but I did donate a framed print for them to sell.
The Minnesota Valley NWR consists of approximately 14,000 acres of habitat that spans 99 miles of the Minnesota River. The refuge is broken into eight different units. The unit that I spend most of my time at is the Long Meadow Lake Unit.
Long Meadow Lake is comprised of 2400 acres of Minnesota River floodplain. This unit includes the Bass Ponds, which were once used for breeding fish to stock Minnesota Lakes, and the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge, which stands derelict like a ghost from the past spanning the river. Long Meadow also includes the spacious refuge visitors center.
One of the cool things about this refuge is that parts of it are located in the middle of the Twin Cities. You can see from the pictures above skyscrapers peaking over the skyline of the trees at Long Meadow. This refuge is only blocks away from the famous Mall of America. So if you ever come to the Twin Cities for a visit do yourself a favor and skip the shopping and walk a couple of blocks to the refuge and get a taste of the real Minnesota.

10 comments:

Randi said...

Your world is so beautiful and your photos are always amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Sylvia K said...

What a gorgeous world you have! And, yes, your photos are always superb! These today are really breathtaking!! Thanks for the beauty! Have a great week!

Sylvia

Martha Z said...

What a sweet photo of the goose and goslings. It is nice to see habitat preserved in urban areas, we are fortunate to have some nearby.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous pictures. That first one is just perfect with those lovely reflections.

Joe Todd said...

My wife can go to the Mall of America and I'll go to the refuge and everyone will be happy LOL

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Oh che meravigliosa foto... l'acqua che riflette il cielo sembra uno specchio !!!
Magnifico effetto !
Buona giornata.
Myriam :)

KaHolly said...

I'd rather go to the refuge than the mall. I'm sure they were very grateful for your donation. That was so wonderful of you to do. You pictures are all so beautiful and I'm sure enlarged and framed, they are striking! ~karen

Maude Lynn said...

Beautiful shots!

Jim said...

These shots are wonderful.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Arija said...

Beautiful photos with delightful little goslings.